


eyes on me

by fromthefarshore



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Cute, Gen, M/M, it's missing bokuaka o'clock
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-05
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:36:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23499142
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fromthefarshore/pseuds/fromthefarshore
Summary: Konoha knows a good way to bring Bokuto back from his slump during the game.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji & Bokuto Koutarou, Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 4
Kudos: 156





	eyes on me

**Author's Note:**

> it's short but HEY HEY HEY IT'S BOKUAKA DAY  
> and I remembered one scene from the episode a couple of weeks back, so here's my take on it hehe hope you'll enjoy!

It's not the time for this, not yet at least, but Bokuto can suddenly feel the emotions weigh him down as disappointment and sadness settle in his chest. The game has just started but he's already missed a good opportunity to spike. It sucks. 

"Bokuto?" 

Akaashi's voice sounds almost like a whisper in Bokuto's ears even if it was nearly screamed out for him to hear it. Bokuto shakes his head and slaps his cheeks, trying to smile. 

"It's not that bad," he blurts out, but the tricky 'not yet' is left unsaid. Akaashi narrows his eyes in thought but neither he nor any other member of the team call for a time-out.

Not yet. 

-

The game is paused sooner than Bokuto has expected anyway, even though he understands exactly why it happens. He lowers his head and lets his arms fall to his sides. Konoha bumps his shoulder against Bokuto’s.

“Hey,” he says. “What’s the deal?”

His, and everyone else’s, eyes are scanning Bokuto for any indication what has brought him down this time, but no one’s coming up with an answer. 

It doesn’t bother Bokuto, really. He’s used to this practice of a kind and even enjoys it a little bit as all the attention is directed at him. This does not mean, however, that Bokuto seeks for this type of experience on purpose. If he could, he’d try to stop it altogether, but it’s easier to plan that with a clear mind than to actually do it when his brain decides to act on its’ own, which it’s doing now as well.

Bokuto feels, whether he wants it or not, like shit.

“It’s–”

It’s difficult to put into words, that’s what it is. It’s silly and ridiculous, it doesn’t make sense, but it’s rooted so deep in Bokuto’s whole being that he cannot simply yank it out himself.

“Your form is good and you jump on time,” Komi starts, “and their ace is not better than you, and–”

“It’s this hall,” Bokuto breathes out. He groans and ruffles his own hair in annoyance. "It’s this _stupid_ hall! And now even my hair– Damn it!”

Konoha furrows his eyebrows, exchanging looks with the rest of the team.

“What’s with this hall?”

“Bokuto…”

It’s Akaashi who lets out a sigh and tilts his head to meet Bokuto’s lowered eyes. The direct contact like that slows down the thoughts jumping in Bokuto’s mind and calms him a little bit down. He takes a deep breath.

“Is it because this one is smaller than the main arena?” Akaashi asks, slowly, and Konoha curses when the realisation where Akaashi’s words lead hits him.

Bokuto simply nods.

“I mean,” he says, “there are so little people here in comparison? It’s like we’re second rate team and–”

“Are you _dumb_?” Konoha asks, but instead of looking at him, Bokuto’s eyes are still fixed on Akaashi. Akaashi, albeit weakly, smiles at him.

“I’m not dumb,” Bokuto says with a little pout because he can’t help it, and Akaashi repeats the words for him to make sure Bokuto is the one to truly believe it.

“You’re not dumb,” he says. Another smile, warmer and more familiar to Bokuto. “But listen to what Konoha has to say.”

Bokuto takes another deep breath, hesitates for a moment, but eventually nods and (difficultly) peels his eyes away from Akaashi.

Konoha uses the chance and puts his hands on Bokuto's shoulders.

“Listen, _ace_ ,” he starts, a smirk coming to his face when Bokuto’s eyes immediately twinkle with the pride of being called an ace. “The main arena has multiple courts, but this one has only one. Do you know what it means?” Konoha does not wait for the answer; he jabs one finger into Bokuto’s chest and leans a bit closer to make sure Bokuto gets every word: “All eyes are on _you_. Everyone in this hall is looking only at our game, so all the attention goes to you. If you think about it, it’s even coo–”

“Cooler than being in the main arena! You’re right!”

Bokuto is smiling now, excited and proud. After hearing this he cannot believe he hasn’t realised it himself, but he knows that when you’re swallowed by darkness it’s always hardest to find the light on your own.

“Yeah?” Konoha says, smiling as well at the fast recovery of Bokuto. He watches how Bokuto glances at Akaashi, who’s holding a smile of his own, and Konoha’s lips stretch into a smirk. He decides, he might as well give even more motivation to Bokuto.

“Besides,” he stars and sees how both Bokuto and Akaashi look at him, “no matter what hall you play in, Akaashi’s eyes will still _always_ be on you, Bokuto.” He winks as well, just to make sure his message really reaches Bokuto, and it’s amusing, really, to see a blush suddenly appear on Akaashi’s face, to watch Bokuto’s eyes widen and immediately travel to Akaashi, the brightest smile dancing on his face.

Akaashi bites his lip and shoots Konoha a murderous glare, but Bokuto’s already screaming “HEY HEY HEY!” and running to the court full with energy.

“You got him too excited,” Akaashi comments bitterly, but Konoha knows it’s mostly just him being annoyed that the words made him blush in front of everyone. It won’t affect his play in any way, Konoha’s sure of that, but it has done wonders to Bokuto, and so Konoha does not regret it at all. In fact, he's proud of it.

He leans a bit closer to Akaashi and whispers,

“Oh just be glad I didn’t tell him you think he’s a star.”

Akaashi sighs.

“You’re horrible,” he says, and Konoha smiles.

They win the match.

-

It’s not the time for this, Bokuto thinks as he’s getting ready to serve the ball in one of the biggest volleyball arenas in the world, but his mind travels back to all those years ago when Konoha said that no matter the place he plays in, Keiji’s eyes will always be on Bokuto.

He doesn’t need this encouragement anymore as _everyone’s_ eyes are on Bokuto now, and it has been for a few years. Whether he plays in the gym of any highschool or in the international stadium, the volleyball fans always pay attention to him. They love him.

Bokuto loves them as well, as he loves the sound of his own name in the stadium, as he loves the cheering that follows his games and never lets him fall into his dejected mode, but throughout the years there’s one thing which has never changed.

He loves Keiji’s eyes on him the most, he wants the attention from Keiji more than from anyone else.

And even now, when Keiji can’t be in the stadium to watch him play live, Bokuto can’t stop thinking about him.

He misses Keiji, and he wants to see him again, to bury his face in the crook of Keiji’s neck and inhale the familiar comforting scent, to hear him laugh, to go home together and to steal kisses. He’ll have it all when he’s back in Japan, he’ll have it soon, but not now. Not yet.

Bokuto tosses the ball up and jumps in the air. Moments later, the loud sound fills the air and then, the crowd screams his name.

Bokuto smiles.

First, he’s got a match a win.


End file.
